First time butt smoker on WSM
- Thread starter DMcGowin
- Start date
Frank H
TVWBB Gold Member
Just be patient.......kidding. Sorry. You just have to wait it out. You can even shut your top vent a little to get the fire quieted down.....did you do minion or light all the briquettes at once? Have you used your WSM much yet or is it brand new. I know mine burned hot as blazes the first few times I used it. I also cut down the number of lit briqs I threw on to begin with.....but don't be afraid to put the butt on there while you wait for the temp to drop. Pork butt is very flexible....you can't really hurt it unless you drop it right in the charcoal pan. 
Just be patient.......kidding. Sorry. You just have to wait it out. You can even shut your top vent a little to get the fire quieted down.....did you do minion or light all the briquettes at once? Have you used your WSM much yet or is it brand new. I know mine burned hot as blazes the first few times I used it. I also cut down the number of lit briqs I threw on to begin with.....but don't be afraid to put the butt on there while you wait for the temp to drop. Pork butt is very flexible....you can't really hurt it unless you drop it right in the charcoal pan.
I did the minion lighting which worked really well. this is the first time I've used the grill so maybe it's just gonna run hot the first few times. Got the butt on! thanks for the insight!
Thanks Chad!
Frank H
TVWBB Gold Member
Mr bman is correct. You can cook at 250,275.... Dare I say 300 even( for short periods)... Pork butt is so easy going. You just gotta hit that IT of 195-205 (or when the bone pulls right out if there is one)
Barry McCorkle
TVWBB Super Fan
A few tips for hitting 225 or whatever temp you desire in your WSM. I usually like to target 225 for butts but will also run the WSM at 240, which turns out great pork.
1. Use Minion method and stick with lighting about 20 briquets.
2. Always shut down the bottom vents at 10 degrees below target temp. The temp typically continues to rise and, if not, you can always open them back up. It is much easier to increase the heat in the cooker than it is to lower the temp if running hot.
3. WSM's are sensitive to outside temp and direct sunlight so adjust the amount of lit and unlit charcoal accordingly. When cooking in direct sunlight in the summer, I use less unlit and lit charcoal. In the winter use more. When trying to run a low temp in the summer, put the cooker in the shade.
4. If the WSM is running hotter than your target temp, you can partially close the top vent if there isn't a lot of smoke coming out of the vent. I have closed the top vent up to a half or 3/4 for a few hours to get the temp down.
1. Use Minion method and stick with lighting about 20 briquets.
2. Always shut down the bottom vents at 10 degrees below target temp. The temp typically continues to rise and, if not, you can always open them back up. It is much easier to increase the heat in the cooker than it is to lower the temp if running hot.
3. WSM's are sensitive to outside temp and direct sunlight so adjust the amount of lit and unlit charcoal accordingly. When cooking in direct sunlight in the summer, I use less unlit and lit charcoal. In the winter use more. When trying to run a low temp in the summer, put the cooker in the shade.
4. If the WSM is running hotter than your target temp, you can partially close the top vent if there isn't a lot of smoke coming out of the vent. I have closed the top vent up to a half or 3/4 for a few hours to get the temp down.
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Frank H
TVWBB Gold Member
Im with tony! We wanna know how it turned out! Don't tell us you ate it all up and never thought to take a picture! We've never done that! (Lately).....
Gary S
TVWBB Guru